Traditionally, plural infusion tubes are used to supply fluids such as drug solutions into a patient's body, in cases like this, medical stopcocks are used to allow the solutions to communicate between each infusion tub or shut-off the communication. Among the foregoing medical stopcocks, there exist medical stopcocks capable of allowing an operator to open or shut-off the communication between each branch-tube and the chamber part by moving the operating part in the axial direction of the chamber part, wherein the chamber part has a cylindrical shape (for example, see Unexamined Patent Publication S62-172962). The medical stopcock disclosed in this prior art is formed in such a manner that 2 branch-tubes are provided interposing the peripheral surface of an approximately cylindrically shaped chamber part, and the valve body in the axial direction in the chamber part can be rotated to open and close the communication between the 2 branch-tubes.
However, this medical stopcock is provided with only 2 branch-tubes, and only capable of simply allowing one to open or shut-off the communication between the 2 branch-tubes. Hence, this medical stopcock cannot be connected to plural lines of infusion tubes and analogs used for medical purposes to switch the communication and shut-off statuses of each infusion tube. Moreover, in order to allow the 2 branch-tubes to communicate with one another or shut-off the communication with one another, the rotational manipulation of the valve body must be performed, posing a difficulty to operate. Consequently, the medical stopcock comprising 3 branch-tubes, capable of switching the flow passage by performing the rotational manipulation of the cock in the axial direction of the valve body has also been developed. However, even in such a medical stopcock, during the manipulation, the main body of the medical stopcock needs to be held by one hand, and the cock needs to be manipulated by the other hand, and therefore it is difficult to operate.
The present invention is made in consideration of the foregoing situations, and the purpose is to provide a medical stopcock allowing an easy switching operation of the flow passages of plural branch-tubes.